


Emotional Support Kit

by Miramise



Series: I Get By with a Little Help from My Friends [5]
Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse), Resident Evil - All Media Types
Genre: Angst and Humor, Claire is the best bro, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff and Humor, Humor, Jacket Theft, Klepto Chris, Leon can't get a break, M/M, Swearing, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-26
Updated: 2019-06-26
Packaged: 2020-05-20 09:38:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19374082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miramise/pseuds/Miramise
Summary: Jackets are being stolen, mainly Leon's.  It's not a mystery; heknowswho's responsible.  Now he has to figure out why, and what to do about it.  His best bro, Claire, may be able to help.  Possibly... when the stars align...





	Emotional Support Kit

**Author's Note:**

> Alternatively titled _Captain Klepto and the case of The Missing Jackets_. No beta; all mistakes mine. Angst is very mild, I think. Also, since Capcom couldn't be arsed to give the support characters in Vendetta a last name, Nadia will get a non-canon one here. Many thanks to the many Chreon shippers for their help.
> 
> I don't think you need to read the other fics in the series to get this, though I may reference them from time to time. As for timeline, it may bounce around, but will always be post RE6.

"Goddammit, Chris."

For the third time that week alone, Leon found his jackets missing. The week before that at least one of them had vanished seemingly every day. Now they all were absent from their hangers, and Leon needed to go to work.

Unfortunately for Leon—but fortunately for the BSAA captain's continued health—Chris wasn't there for Leon to interrogate. But Leon had a good idea of where to look and zeroed in on Chris's dresser. As he expected, one of his jackets was hidden under a mess of socks and t-shirts.

"Seriously, what the hell, Chris," the blond muttered to himself. He quickly pulled his jacket free and slung it on. "We're gonna have to talk about this klepto thing he's got going on with my jackets."

There's wasn't any time to ponder it now. Leon had a briefing to get to with the president, and he knew Hunnigan would have his balls in a sling if he was late.

-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-

Leon was supposed to be working on his reports from the last mission. He should have had most of them done and been nearing the end so he could go home on time, even if Chris wouldn't be back until late. Instead, he had a report half-filled out in his hand while brooding over the situation with his constantly stolen jackets.

"You frown any more and you might lose your 'prettiest agent' title."

Leon turned a scowl up to his sometime partner. "Very funny, Helena. I'm having to deal with a sudden onset of kleptomania in my relationship and you crack jokes."

The faint smirk Helena sported morphed into one of confusion. "Come again? Did you say—"

"Chris has been taking my jackets." He already knew what Helena would say and countered, "Yes, I know I'm wearing one. It was hidden in his damn t-shirt drawer." He heard the choked off a laugh and held a pen out towards the brunette. "Don't even think it, Harper. I know how to use this."

"Coming from you, that's actually a serious threat." Helena grabbed a nearby chair and sat down near Leon's desk. "So how long has this been going on?"

"About... three? Four weeks ago? I don't know." Leon slumped back in his chair and ran an irritated hand through his hair. "I just know one minute, my jackets are minding their own business hanging out in the closet—literally—then the next, I'm finding them in Chris's things. And in itself this wouldn't be that big a deal; I have a few of them after all. He was only taking one here and there. This week, however, he's started taking _all_ of them!"

The blond threw his hands in the air. "Who does that? Who would take all of a man's coats?" he asked aloud, not expecting an answer. He still got one, and annoyingly sassy to boot.

"Redfield does, apparently." Helena's smirk returned. "Is it a new fetish thing? Did you do some weird roleplay and now he's addicted? Gossiping minds what to know, Kennedy."

"I guess you won't die from curiosity today, because the answer is a resounding no." Leon swiveled in his chair. "And even if we had, it wouldn't explain Chris being 'addicted' to my jackets. It's not like they even fit him right. And it's not cold, so that's not the reason. Ugh." The agent rested his elbows on his desk and dropped his head into his hands, which fisted in his hair. "If this is some new way to make me more insane than my therapist thinks I am, it's working."

"Not sure if people like us can get _more_ crazy. And if we do, I'm blaming you." Helena pursed her lips and gave the bizarre situation some thought. "You said it started about three or so weeks ago?" At Leon's quiet nod, she continued, "Well maybe something happened to him then, and he's using your jackets as some sort of—I don't know—emotional support?"

Leon raised his head enough to give Helena a very confused look. "You're saying Chris is using my jackets as some kind of therapy teddy bear or something?"

"In so many words, yes," she confirmed.

"That's ridiculous. And as someone who drowns in ridiculous, I speak with some expertise when I say _that's_ ridiculous."

An arched brow told Leon what Helena thought about that. "You have any other ideas?"

"...no," he muttered, conceding the point. "But there's nothing I can think of that might have happened around that time. What could have possibly occurred for Redfield to go from nominally sane to jacket thief in such a short amount of time?"

"And here we have the common crux of the problem with guys in a relationship." Helena leaned back and crossed one leg over the other. "I'm going to go out on a very short limb and guess you haven't actually _talked_ to Chris about this, have you?"

"Why would I talk to him before figuring out the whys for the behaviour?" Leon scrunched up his nose a bit. "And we do talk. Well, we try damn hard. Sometimes it's not easy getting the words out when dealing with the crap we have to go through."

That was, unfortunately, very true in their line of work. Helena nodded in solidarity on that. However, she thought this current situation would be one resolved with communication. She just has to convince Leon of that.

"Emotional bloodletting aside, if this was a sudden change, then obviously there was an incident for this to even be a thing to begin with", she advised. "And if you don't want to confront Chris directly, then ask some of his BSAA friends. That one chick might know... Jill something?"

"Valentine. Jill Valentine," he murmured, not liking that idea any more than talking to Chris himself. "And I don't know if she'd tell me or not. We're... we're not close, all things considered."

"Wha—oh. Ooh, I see. Yeah, not her. But has to be someone else, preferably female, but take whomever you can get. See if they can give you an idea of what he might have been up to around then." Helena made a face as she further thought on why this Jill Valentine wouldn't like Leon, and she wasn't happy with the conclusions she was coming too. "Hey, do you need me to handle this Valentine for you? I'll do it; you know I will."

"What? No. _No_ , you violent psycho. No trying to maim any member of the BSAA unless it's self-defense or inappropriate contact." Helena gave him another look, forcing Leon to explain. "Someone might have tried to cop a feel. A wrist might have been broken before Chris tore them a new asshole."

"Good on him, or he would have found himself down a soldier." Helena gave the blond a sharp look. "Was that the only time?"

"What, you think I can't take care of myself, Harper?" He asked instead, even as his mind whirled over several other "incidents" until Chris threatened to leave the BSAA altogether if it continued. To this day, Leon wasn't sure why that had been a thing to begin with. While he could find out, he chose ignorance to maintain the fragile working relationship between the DSO and BSAA.

"Nevermind that. I still have this klepto problem. Though I suppose I could talk to DC or Nadia." Those two were safe, at least. And there weren't any issues between him and them, so he could ask without fear of being given bad info, or no info at all.

"Sounds like a plan," Helena told him. "And since you now _have_ a plan, you should take a break from worrying about it and join me for lunch."

There was a glint in the brunette's eyes that put Leon on immediate alert. "Why do I get the feeling this is more than a simple lunch invite?"

"Because it is. I need help getting a birthday gift for Claire; it'd be awkward to ask Chris to go to the store I plan to go to."

That didn't sound good for Leon's mental state at all. "What store?"

"...it's best if I show you."

" _Helena!_ "

-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-

"Oh god. This isn't a store..."

"Good Vibrations is totally a store. Now c'mon. Hey, maybe you'll find something for Chris in here."

"We buy our sex toys online like normal people!"

"Just come in and help me find a cute dildo for Claire."

" _ **Helena!**_ "

-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-

After the disaster that was gift shopping for Claire—Leon was never going to look at pink glitter the same way again—he was back at his desk finishing up his reports. While he did have a plan on finding out what might have caused Chris's sudden inclination to coat theft, Leon couldn't help but try and think over it himself to see if anything around that time stood out.

_'I keep coming up empty. Was it a mission? Then Nadia or DC would definitely know. But if it wasn't, or it's related to "us" in some way, then I'm not sure what I'll do. Ugh, I might have to take Helena's advice and just talk to the big jerk directly. What a pain.'_

As he pondered the situation, his ears picked up on a sound that didn't fit with his usual office background noise. Leon lifted his head and saw the crux of his problems, along with the possible solutions.

"DC? Nadia? _Chris_? What are you guys doing here?"

"What, BSAA not good enough to come and pay the DSO a visit—oomph." DC grinned at Nadia despite the mild elbow to the gut she delivered. "Too early to be that violent, Nadia."

"Ha! Never too early for violence!"

Chris shook his head before turning to Leon. If he noticed Leon wearing the jacket Chris had hidden away in his t-shirt drawer, he didn't react to it. "We had a meeting with some of the FOS, and thought we'd stop by to see if you wanted to catch a ride." The captain noticed the reports littering Leon's desk. "But if you're still busy..."

Screw those reports, Leon wasn't focusing on them anyway. "Nah, it's fine. Let me shove them in the drawer and we can take off. Guess it's lucky Helena was driving the pool today." He quickly gathered all the papers into one semi-organized stack and pushed them into a side drawer. He also wrote a small note to Helena about not needing a ride back. "Done. Let's go. I didn't get a chance to eat lunch thanks to Helena wanting help with Claire's gift." He stood, more than ready to leave the office work for another day.

The BSAA group shifted to let Leon and Chris stand beside each other while DC and Nadia went ahead of them. Nobody mentioned how close the two stood together; everyone in the office had a great appreciation for their continued health, and a well-earned fear of Leon.

"Yeah, Claire's birthday gift, right? What did Helena get for her?"

Chris couldn't help but wonder why Leon was cracking up the entire trip back to the BSAA office.

-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-

"Hey, Nadia. Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Nadia Blaese of the BSAA pulled up short as her mind tried to verify what she heard. When she saw a familiar blond walking towards her, she confirmed that Leon Kennedy wanted her attention. That honestly shocked the brunette, having Agent Kennedy—best ghost of the DSO and her captain's significant other—wanting to talk to _her_ of all people. Not that she had a problem with it; she honestly respected Leon as an agent, as well as someone who could keep Chris a bit more level-headed when outside a mission. They traded jokes and such when they were on a rare joint mission between their agencies, but otherwise never really interacted much outside of that. So having him do so now, well, her curiosity went into overdrive.

"Agent Kennedy? What can I help you with?" Nadia knew she didn't have to be so formal, but on the off chance this was a mission...

Leon made a face. "Just Leon. C'mon, I know we don't talk much, but I figured we were on a first-name basis by now. Who else is going to tell you about the _many_ cooking disasters that belong to one Chris Redfield.

Okay, he had her there. "Sorry. Just not used to you wanting to chat outside work."

The blond made another face, this time at himself. "Then I'm the one who's sorry. I never thought about it since we're in different groups—" Leon offered, but Nadia was quick to wave it off.

"No, don't worry about it. What did you need me for, though?"

"Ah, right. See, the thing is..." Leon paused, wondering if it was right for him to share this with one of Chris's people. Then he thought about where he found his jacket this morning and threw propriety out the window. "It's Chris. About three or so weeks ago, he started appropriating my jackets from their rightful place on the hangers. Now once or twice, and with one jacket at a time, I can let go." A frown marred the agent's face, mind flashing to the past week. "But lately he's been grabbing _all_ my jackets. I know it's not a prank; Chris doesn't really do pranks. Plus I always find them among his things. So I wondered if you might know of anything that would have gone down with him around the time this started?"

That... wasn't at all what Nadia was expecting. None of it. And now she was hard-pressed not to outright laugh in the agent's face. Not at him—maybe a little at him—but at the fact that her captain, a man who could mow down a swarm of infected without flinching, was stealing his boyfriend's jacket.

"I swear if you laugh, soldier..."

That only made it worse, of course. Nadia slapped a hand over her mouth and desperately tried to reign it in. Her eyes squeezed shut, and she could feel tears gathering in the corners. _'Don't do it, Blaese. Don't you dare.'_

Leon glared as the brunette nearly killed herself trying not to laugh, until heaving a large sigh. "Go ahead."

That was all it took to leave Nadia gasping for air as she cackled loudly. She fell against the nearest wall to keep herself upright. The brunette was nothing but a wheezing mess before she could calm down enough to speak, only the occasional sputter escaping her.

"S-sorry. I'm sorry, just never... never imagined Chris... stealing jackets..."

"Neither did I, and especially not mine," Leon deadpanned. "And while I'm happy _one_ of us can laugh, it doesn't help my situation in the least. Chris has gone klepto, and I need to find out why."

"...captain klepto..." Nadia snorted out.

"I will end you, Blaese. See if I don't."

Nadia held a hand up until she got herself back under control. "Sorry... sorry. Okay... three weeks ago. Hm?" The brunette went over the spate of missions she'd been on with Chris and tried to think if anything stood out. Something did, but she wasn't sure if that was the information Leon would need. "Well, there was a thing, but..."

Any sign, any clue, Leon was more than willing to check out, no matter how insignificant. "What? Please, tell me. It might not be the actual reason, but it's better than what I have now, which is zilch."

After a time Nadia replied, "I think it was mission-related. Except I don't know whose mission it would have been. Bravo and Delta were both out at the time. I didn't hear about anything serious, but I don't always get the complete reports, either."

That made some sense, except why would something happening to one of the BSAA squads result in Chris stealing _his_ jackets? Leon thought there had to be more, but what, he couldn't say.

"Was there a particular day when you noticed Chris acting weird?"

"Yeah, but both Bravo and Delta had come back that day, so can't really say who it would be about."

Fair enough, far as Leon was concerned. "Okay. How was he acting after that? Say the next day?"

"Shocked," Nadia said after a few minutes rumination. "Not serious or anything. More like he was startled, kind of like if someone blows up a paper bag and pops it behind you kind of thing." Another shrug. "It wasn't all that noticeable, and he seemed okay a couple hours later. When we asked, he just said he was a little worried about the missions the day before."

It wasn't much, yet the information was a lot more than Leon had before. If nothing else, he had a potential starting point to investigate. "Alright. I'll see if Hunnigan can maybe get me a read into those missions. I don't see how they would turn Chris into a jacket kidnapper, but I can work with it."

"Sorry I don't have more for you," Nadia offered, but Leon waved it away.

"It's fine, and more than I started with. Thanks, Nadia."

"Any time. Tell me how the case of Captain Klepto turns out." Nadai paused, then broke into more peals of laughter as she walked back to her desk. Leon groaned and thanked the powers that might be for Chris still talking to DC by the Osprey.

_'Why me? How do I get into these situations? Argh, nevermind. Let's just see what we can find.'_

Unfortunately, the info would still be too vague, and that was if Hunnigan could even get her hands on the reports for him. It would take a while to investigate that lead. Yet there might be a couple of more people to ask. DC would have to wait, but Leon had a straight line to the number one Chris expert. Maybe he could get some help there...

-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-

"I have no idea."

" _Argh_." Leon flopped into the armchair across from Claire and let his head fall into his hands. "Dammit, Claire. You're supposed to be the Redfield expert."

"Sorry, that's actually your job now." Leon glanced up between his fingers, silently beckoning Claire to explain. "See, Helena mentioned getting you to help shop for my gift, right? And before you ask, no, she didn't tell me, but there was a lot of giggling. Which scares me a little, but nevermind that," she said, waving her hand. "And I know Sherry went to you to avoid Jake getting me something weird. So that's two people who went to you to find something for me.

"As for Chris, haven't you noticed _everybody_ goes to you for any Chris-related issues? Jake thinks he pissed of Chris? He's going to you to smooth it over. Piers is confused by Chris's actions or feelings? He's going to you to understand. Sherry needs a gift for his birthday? She went to _you_ , and that's when you'd think people would come to me the most!"

"That might have something to do with you suggesting various collars and steroid supplements last time they asked you," Leon pointed out.

"Hey, I'm his sister. It's in the job description to mess with a sibling." She saw Leon's expression and nodded. "Just trust me, it's a sibling thing."

"You two make me happy I was an only child." Sighing, Leon lifted his head to fall back against the armchair. "Well even if everyone thinks I'm the new Redfield expert, that doesn't help me in figuring out why Chris has been stealing my jackets lately."

Claire hmm'd a bit. "Sounds like a clinging problem," she said after a few. The redhead got up and went into the kitchen to get her and Leon a soda as she continued. "I mean, don't kids and some pets do that when they want to feel closer to the person they're stealing from? And of course I'm going to be the first to insult Chris's maturity level."

"Let me guess; another sibling thing?"

"Another sibling thing, yes." Claire returned, handing a glass to Leon before sitting down with her own. "So let's say that's the issue. Something changed to make him that kind of clingy. Nothing happened on a mission or anything, did it?"

The blond frowned and went over everything he knew about the last few missions Chris had been on. "If something happened on one of his missions, he didn't mention it to me. And the reports I'm allowed to read didn't indicate anything amiss." He stared at his glass and further mulled over the situation. "No, nothing happened, that I can remember, to explain Chris turning into a jacket-stealing clinging vine."

"And that's another thing," Claire quickly pointed out. "Besides the jacket thefts, has his behaviour towards you changed in any way? That would definitely mean something happened. He might have just kept it out of the reports."

Leon thought over the last three weeks. There were times Leon had to squeak about air because Chris's bear hugs were a little tighter than usual. However, Chris always backed off quickly and started rambling apologies. One time he'd gotten so upset about it he'd picked up Leon in a bridal carry and ran to their bedroom to lay the blond down and make sure he hadn't caused more serious damage.

(There may have been shrieking. It _might_ have been Leon, but there were no witnesses to confirm. And Chris might be under pain of death should he reveal, but again, nothing concrete can be proven.)

Still, the bear hugs... "Maybe," Leon said after a fashion. "His hugs have gotten a little tighter on occasion, though I haven't noticed a pattern, and it's not that often." The blond ruminated on it some more. "He seemed very concerned about checking over me the last few missions I got. Honestly had to calm _him_ down when I came in with a bad bruising covering my entire left side. Which reminds me," he scowled, "what is it about me that all these damn G BOWs like throwing around so friggin' much? I swear if there's a G involved, I'm gonna get yeeted at some point."

"...so many ways to answer that, buttercup." It was Claire's turn to sigh. "And putting the 'Kennedy is a G ragdoll' issue aside, what you just described about Chris is how he normally is with people he cares about. Which makes sense, all things considered. You could just be noticing it for the first time given you're paying attention more to determine the whole jacket thing." Claire took a drink as the gears in her head start moving, in the most nonsensical ways ever. "Hey, maybe he's trying to move them on the black market. I can think of a few people who would pay top dollar for a jacket personally worn by Leon 'sexy pants' Kennedy."

Thankfully, for his sanity and the blush he'd sport otherwise, Leon was very familiar with Claire's sense of humour. "Really? Sexy pants? That's the best you can do?"

"It is if I want to keep this conversation rated teen and up. No parent worth a grain of salt would expose their kid to us on a good day."

"Okay, fine, let's get back to the Klepto Chris crisis—"

"Trying saying that three times fast."

"—dammit, Claire!" Yet Leon couldn't help smiling, which he knew Claire had been aiming for. "I'm trying to be serious."

"You're always serious, especially on the clock. You are currently off the clock, and hanging with your best bro."

"My best bro? Really?"

"Who else gets the title? Jake? Piers? Can't be Chris, he's your bae. Or is it your bear? Papa Bear? Ew, brain went to dark places. _Dark places_ , Kennedy. I'm holding you responsible." Seeing the look that earned made Claire grin. "Okay so my fault. Still, don't ever tell me about your fetishes in regards to my brother. I have stared into the abyss once; I don't need it to wink saucily back at me."

"Okay, one, I never had any intention of discussing my sex life with you as long as I was dating your brother. Two, Chris is not hairy enough for bear culture, and it damn well better stay that way or I will fucking shave his sasquatch ass down myself. Three, if Chris ever was suicidal enough to ask me to call him 'daddy', you would be down one brother, and I'd have a pair of balls hanging on my wall as a new trophy. Four, we are going _way_ off track; stick to the topic, Redfield. Five, and most importantly, did you take meth today? You're all over the place, and that is not like you one bit."

The last statement conveyed sincere worry on Leon's part. While Claire could on occasion be a little hyper, this was far more than what Leon was used to.

Claire frowned. She appeared to give herself an internal once-over, then sighed loudly. "Must be a manic episode. I'll have to get my meds adjusted, _again_."

Oh, right. All of them had some lingering issues from their first encounters with virus victims. Issues that grew worse the longer they had to deal with them. Claire's had manifested as a mild form of mania, which had worried Leon and tripped off his guilt complex before she practically (and literally) knocked some sense in him.

"Before you go losing yourself in your own head, it's _fine_ ," Claire firmly said. "My doctor just wanted to try something different, but it's not working, so I'll have her switch me back. Don't worry about it, okay?"

"...Alright." And he wouldn't. Claire more than anyone else would let Leon know if she had a problem or not. If she said she was fine, then Leon would believe her.

"Now, back to my-brother-the-thief," she continued. "You said nothing happened on his missions. Did anything happen on one of _yours_?"

"Why would that—" Leon clamped his mouth shut almost immediately and cursed himself for being so dense. Of course, something happening on one of his own missions is practically the same as it happening on Chris's. The lug still didn't seem to get it that Leon was every bit as effective as any BSAA soldier, if not more so. Yet it didn't stop Chris from sometimes treating the blond as if he were a fragile piece of china.

A little more and Leon would find a different reason to regret breaking down that night at Claire's.

Leon ran a hand down his face, clearly exasperated at the ridiculousness of his boyfriend. "I can't think of anything that stands out, but this is Chris. I get a damn papercut and he's ready to break out the ace bandages." Leon closed his eyes a moment, only to blink them back open when he felt Claire leaning over him to pat the blond on the shoulder.

"Frustrating, I know. And he means well. I think part of it is his own insecurities coming into play." She returned to her seat and picked her glass back up, slurping the last of her soda. "He knows he can't stop us from doing what we want to do. What we _need_ to do. And if—gods forbid—something happened to us then rationally he knows it's out of his hands. So instead he tries to control what he _can_ affect, which is smothering us with his Papa Bear tendencies."

"Great, wonderful, _terrific_. So I'm that incompetent—"

"It has nothing to do with your skill!" Claire nearly jumped from her seat. She became adamant in needing Leon to get that line of thought out his head immediately. "Chris respects you far too much, so don't even go there, Leon." She huffs and flops back. "I know, okay? I _know_ , because he treats me the same way _still_. And it's frustrating as all hell, but it's not because he thinks we're weak." She bit her lip but pressed forward. "If anything, it's the opposite. He thinks _he's_ too weak and that will get us hurt, or worse. Chris tends to forget how often we're all in different parts of the world, so not like he can shield us three countries over, y'know?"

That Leon knew too well. And perhaps even understood, to a lesser extent. He would like nothing more than for all of them to be safe somewhere away from the viruses and mad scientists and corporations toying with people's lives. But he couldn't, so Leon had to trust in their own skills to keep them alive when he couldn't be there for them.

"All well and good," he grumbled, "But again, not solving the main issue." Leon sat up and rested his elbows on his knees while assuming a thinking pose. "So just because nothing stands out to me about my missions, doesn't mean Chris might not have panicked in his own way over something I might have shrugged off. Huh." He looked over at Claire, who nodded in agreement. "Swell. I spoke to Nadia—"

"I haven't met her yet."

Leon winced. "Yeah, that's more on Chris, and slightly on me, but nevermind that." He straightened up, hands resting on his thighs, soda forgotten. "She said both Bravo and Delta had missions around the same time. Said they even came back on the same day, and the following was when she noticed Chris acting odd. Said he seemed shocked. When they asked him, Chris told them he'd been worried about the missions."

His expression turned pensive, one hand tapping rhythmically against his thigh. "Somehow I think it's more what you said. My mission as opposed to someone in the BSAA. And the only thing I can think of..." He cringed even as Claire waved for him to continue. "So... I might have gotten tossed into a bulkhead by another G infected."

" _LEON!_ "

"It's not my fucking fault these things like to bounce me like a bad check," he defended. "And it... might have been on par with back at the WilPharma building..." Leon cringed again, knowing the reaction _that_ was going to get. And Claire didn't disappoint him.

" _ **LEON SCOTT KENNEDY!**_ " Claire jumped straight to her feet and lunged for the blond, her hands tight on his shoulders. "Why... what... how... _Why didn't you say that before!_ " Poor Claire looked on the verge of hyperventilating. "Ohmygodohmygodohmygod... are you still hurt? You still have to be bruised up." She let go of Leon's shoulders, of which he was grateful because Claire had quite the grip. After a moment of staring at him, she began pacing the length of the sofa. "Fuck, we need a doctor, no, it's been a few... okay, just have to get you to lie down. We can call in a BSAA medic, I bet—"

Watching his best friend panicking because of him nearly set off Leon's guilt complex. But he knew that wasn't what Claire needed right now, so he pushed his own feelings aside to deal with later.

"Claire... Claire... _CLAIRE_." He allowed himself an exhale when the redhead stopped. "I'm sorry I didn't mention it before. I... I forget how that must look on the outside. I'm too busy in the moment to allow myself to think about anything, and when it's over I just wind up sleeping it off after Med checks me through. I... I know this won't help, but a lot of times it doesn't seem like a big deal to me."

The younger Redfield squeezed her eyes tight and counted backwards from ten just as she'd taught Chris to do. "You're right, it doesn't help. But... but I can sort of understand, at least from your point of view." She opened her eyes then, blue locking with blue. "For you, I guess it's not a thing since you've been doing this solo for so long, without any backup or someone to just say 'Are you okay?' when you're hurt. And for that, I will never forgive the DSO. No," Claire held up a hand to stop Leon's argument, "no it's their fault. Just because you survived Raccoon City mostly on your own was no reason to keep shoving you into those missions alone with only the occasional partner. Most of whom weren't a good fit."

She lowered her hand and kept their gaze connected. "You don't get it because you're usually alone. But yes, it's _very_ different for us when we can't help you. Can't be there for you. Hell, we don't know where you even are half the time. And when we hear about you having to fight a freakin' giant, or getting thrown by a G, we... we get scared.

"We get scared, Leon," Claire repeated. "We're scared and there's nothing we can do because we know you're going to go back out there and probably wind up in a similar situation, but who else can and walk away from it? So, we try and do what we can. Keep you close when you're off duty. Spend time with you as friends. Keep you occupied so you don't get lost in your own mind...

"We're also not perfect, and I will say I'm sorry every day from now to forever about the driving thing. We're going to fuck up; all of us. You will, too. And none of us will mean to, but we're going to do it anyway, because we're human."

Everything Claire said rang true and resonated with Leon. That was just one of the many reasons he considered her his best friend. Claire wasn't afraid of the truth, even if she was in the wrong. But this time, it might be more on him.

Leon stood as well, an arm's length away from Claire. "Did I screw up?" was whispered between them.

"Did you tell Chris what happened? Or did he have to read it in a report?" Claire asked instead.

A fair question; Leon sometimes failed to express the extent of risk some of his missions have had. This had not been one of those times, he was certain.

"I told him, definitely. I knew I couldn't hide those injuries, and honestly didn't want to. Not only did I get bruised to hell and back, I dislocated my shoulder and bruised my ribs as well. I... I didn't want to hide that, I..." He felt the heat staining his cheeks, so Leon tilted his head away, breaking eye contact. "I felt a bit... unsteady. I wanted... wanted him to... I..."

"Just needed him to be there? Be something solid that you could anchor to and forget about all these damn viruses for a bit."

That was the other reason Claire was his best friend. She could get Leon the way not many others ever would.

"Yes. That. So no, I didn't hide anything, and he didn't find out through the report. But..." The agent turned back to Claire as several mental pieces clicked in place. "But I may have downplayed what happened a bit, which might have been in the report... fuck." Yup, he screwed up. Leon flopped back in the armchair with the knowledge that _he_ was the cause of Chris's jacket-thieving ways. "Just great. So he reads the reports, and steals my jackets as a result?"

"Well what else can he do?" Claire sat back on the sofa with her arms spread across the back. "Sure, you didn't hide the fact that you were hurt, but neither did you explain _how_. He had to get that second-hand. And maybe part of him accepts that. You both have dangerous jobs, so shit is going to happen. He can take care of you when you're home, but when you're not? All he has is your jackets."

"Right." Leon sank down further into the armchair and just let a hand slap onto his face. "Well, we've identified the problem. Any hope of finding a solution?" Personally, Leon didn't have high hopes for that, but Claire proved she once again had Leon's back.

"I have an idea. It'll cost you a penny, but will be worth it, I promise you."

"Considering I've got zilch, let's hear it." Lean straightened a bit and listened to Claire's proposal. By the end he wondered how he ever got by in life before Claire.

"It's genius."

"Isn't it?"

"Absolutely." Leon remembered his soda. He knocked it back, uncaring of how flat it was, then all but slammed it on the side table. "Feel like a little shopping, Redfield?"

"You're on, Kennedy!" The two raced for the door, Claire barely stopping long enough to get her keys along the way.

-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-

A few days later, Leon was called back into the office despite still being on medical leave. It seemed there was something in his report the president wanted to go over before deciding on a further course of action. Leon pecked Chris on the cheek as he was leaving, promising he'd be back before lunch. He was gone moments later, leaving the brunet alone in Leon's condo.

_'He's only going to the office. Get a grip, Redfield. Nothing will happen to him there.'_

_'But aren't there labs close by? What if—no, stop it! Nothing's going to happen!'_

And while the odds were likely that nothing _would_ happen, Chris couldn't quite manage to convince himself. So he did the only thing he could think to do.

_'I saw him wearing one out; guess that hiding spot's compromised. He probably grabbed the other two back, which should be in the closet.'_

A part of Chris thought he should feel a bit silly, and definitely pathetic, for always grabbing Leon's jackets while the blond was gone. The rest of him didn't care one bit. Having something he knew Leon was fond close by helped keep Chris's anxiety in check.

_'Okay, shirt, shirt, shirt—holy hell does he spray paint these pants on—pants, shirt, pants... what?'_

Towards the back of the closet was a box that had somehow been affixed to a hanger. While slightly odd, it was the "Chris Emotional Support Kit" that grabbed his attention.

"What the hell..." He would have been insulted if his curiosity hadn't been triggered. "I'll be the cat, I guess," he muttered while dragging the box out from the closet. He set it down on the bed and considered the best way to open it without possibly damaging the contents. Chris considered going for his combat knife until he noticed a pull tab along the side.

"Better than risk whatever's inside, I suppose." He pulled a strip away from three sides and lifted the flap. His heart slammed into his chest, and maybe, just _maybe_ his vision got a little blurry.

"Dammit, Leon. Not fair pulling this when you're not even here," the brunet choked out. He carefully lifted the leather jacket away from the box, noting it was a perfect match to the one Leon wore most often. As he held it up, Chris picked up the scent of the blond's cologne.

His vision got a lot more blurry. Chris would say it was very dusty; nobody would believe him.

Chris let his legs go to kneel at the foot of the bed, his face buried in the collar of the jacket. _His_ jacket; it was way too big for Leon. The captain could still imagine Leon drowning in it, just to let Chris know he'd worn it. Or maybe when it got colder, Leon might 'borrow' it just because it's bigger, to wear around the house.

His face was still pressed against the collar when Chris heard the front door open. He didn't move when he felt arms wrap around his shoulders and a familiar weight against his back.

"You like it?"

"Uh-huh." The brunet took a deep breath to keep his voice from shaking. "It's great. But..."

"But?"

"...I don't regret stealing your jackets."

Leon chuckled softly behind Chris. "I had a feeling you didn't. So, am I forgiven?"

"Forgiven?" Chris's brows furrowed in confusion. "For what? You didn't do anything. I was the one taking your jackets."

The blond smiled and pressed his lips to Chris's hair. "I scared you," he murmured. "I made you worry. I'm so used to dealing with injuries on my own that I'm not really aware of what it's like for someone else. Someone who"—Leon swallowed hard at the sudden epiphany from the last few weeks—"someone who cares about me."

He shifted so he was kneeling beside Chris, one hand on the older man's shoulder, the other pressed against the jacket right over Chris's heart.

"I didn't realize how bad the report was until I decided to read it for myself. I didn't understand at first, even after I talked with Claire. While I was reading it, Hunnigan came along and I explained the trouble I was having. She told me, "Imagine if you were reading that, but instead of it being about you, it was about Chris." And yeah, I get it now. Putting you in that report was fucking horrible. And for that, for making you feel that way, I'm sorry."

"It... it's not..." The leather squeaked when Chris held it tighter. He wanted to let Leon know it wasn't his fault, but Chris's throat closed up around the words. It wasn't Leon's fault; they both know the risks. But it had been _terrifying_ to read just how Leon had gotten those injuries. Chris had needed the younger man close after that, but he couldn't keep Leon from the office any more than Chris could keep him from going on missions. So he had to settle for the next best thing.

"It's not your fault," he whispered. "It's not... it's not anyone's fault except the assholes who keep making these things. I just... I needed something. You can't _not_ go out there any more than I can. I know this. I just needed something to know... to hold..." Chris let out a gust of air and gave in when his lover guided the brunet's hard to Leon's shoulder.

"I get it. Still, I kinda _need_ my jackets. Claire came up with the idea. By the way, check up on her when you get a chance. Her doctor screwed with her meds."

"Right."

The two stayed there for several minutes, Leon holding Chris close to let the brunet feel that he was still there, that he was okay. Eventually their knees protested, so Leon got to his feet, then braced himself to pull Chris up as well.

"By the way, what are you doing here? I thought Hunnigan called you in to finish your reports."

"I got Helena to cover those for me, in return for the horror she put me through in helping her buy Claire's birthday gift."

"That bad, really?"

"Really, that bad." Leon shrugged it away. "She loves your sister and wants to make her happy. This is just one form of happy I don't need to be involved in. Which reminds me," grimace stole over his face, though Chris would liken it more to a pout, "When did _I_ become the Redfield expert?"

"The minute you got adopted. Which was the same minute you put your life on the line to save Claire. It was finalized when you warned me so I could go help her."

That answer got Chris a strange look, one he couldn't read. "Even during China?"

Even when he wasn't trying, Leon still knew where to land a hit. The captain was convinced of this.

"China was... bad. And I wasn't in a good place. I don't think any of us were in hindsight. But," Chris stepped closer, chapped hands gentle as he cupped Leon's face, "I never stopped respecting you. I never stopped considering you an ally and friend. And that very minor crush Claire accused me of having certainly didn't go away."

A sassy answer faded from the younger man's lips. Leon knew how to read a room, even a room of one. And he _was_ the designated Redfield expert, after all. Sass didn't have a place in that moment. Something nicer, perhaps softer, was needed instead.

"So I might have gone out and grabbed breakfast. Want to sit on the couch with me and watch a movie?"

Chris didn't need to think about it. He laid his jacket on the bed—he was going to give Claire shit for the emotional support bit—and grinned at Leon.

The blond might have shrieked when Chris lifted him into a bridal carry and jogged into the living room. But there were no witnesses, and Chris was again under pain of death if he talked.

-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-÷-

A couple of hours and one movie later saw the two were snuggled together on the couch, breakfast long ago consumed and containers in the trash. It took very little convincing for Chris to grab his jacket so the two could huddle under it, just for a reason to be closer. Currently the two were looking at Lady and the Tramp, having finished the original 101 Dalmations before. Leon sat between Chris's legs, his back leaning against the broad and incredibly warm chest of his boyfriend. Chris hugged the blond from behind, chin on Leon's shoulder.

"So which character are you?" Chris asked with a light, teasing tone. He thought the question might rile the blond up a little. He wasn't wrong, but not quite right, either.

"What? How could... Jesus, Chris, why would you even ask me that?" Leon groaned softly into his hand. "You obviously don't know me one bit, Redfield."

That was a bit much, and more than Chris expected. "I'm sorry—"

"You should be," Leon scolded, "You should be very sorry. Because I am _clearly_ Lady. My hair is fucking perfect, so obviously I am Lady, and you are my very scruffy Tramp."

Chris laughed long and loud. He wasn't going to argue. He kissed Leon on the top of his head, enjoying the feel of those perfect locks.

"Does this mean we should have spaghetti for dinner?"

Leon twisted around—and god Chris was never going to get over how flexible the agent was—and placed his hands against Chris's chest.

"I hardly need a string of pasta as an incentive to kiss you."

Leon slotted his lips easily over Chris's, a gentle give and take between them as the movie played on, forgotten in the wake of a soft touch in a lazy afternoon.

♡


End file.
